Top 3 Myths About Love Addiction Treatment

Love addiction is a condition characterized by a desperate need to be in a relationship. Many love addicts go from one relationship to another because they are compelled to experience the euphoria of early love, while others get involved with partners who are abusive or emotionally unavailable.

Love addiction treatment can help those who struggle with these behaviors break unhealthy patterns and heal from the underlying pain. But those who need help may be held back from getting it by some common myths about love addiction treatment.

Myth #1: Love Addiction Treatment is Unnecessary

Addiction in general is often misunderstood and many people think that those who struggle with addiction should be able to just abruptly give up their self-destructive behavior. This is especially true when it comes to love addiction. If you have been in one bad relationship after another, your loved ones may think you should just “snap out of it” or stop allowing yourself to be treated badly.

Breaking the pattern of love addiction isn’t as simple as waking up one day and deciding you won’t approach love in a compulsive way anymore. If you are a love addict, you will probably need either inpatient or outpatient treatment to overcome your compulsive behavior. Untreated love addiction can sometimes lead to serious consequences, including marital problems and sexually transmitted diseases.

Myth #2: Only Women Need Love Addiction Treatment

A common misconception about love addiction is that it’s a problem that is only experienced by women and that men don’t need treatment for this condition. Love addiction affects both men and women and takes many different forms. It can include constantly searching for new relationships, sabotaging existing relationships, avoiding emotional intimacy or having unhealthy sexual boundaries. Men also experience many of these difficulties in relating to others and may need love addiction treatment for help changing their behavior.

Myth #3: Love Addicts Can’t Have Healthy Relationships

Although love addiction treatment may include the recommendation that you avoid getting involved in relationships for a period of time, there is no reason why you can’t eventually have a healthy relationship. Going through treatment for love addiction will help you understand some of the underlying reasons you have approached love in an addictive way, and you will learn new ways of relating to others. As part of your recovery, you will work on your self-esteem and learn to love yourself, which is the basis of all healthy relationships.